WEBVTT EXPONENTIALLY THE PAST FEWYEARS.THERE ARE NOW, 11 TIMES MORE OFTHEM, THAN IN DECEMBER, 2014.+11 NEWS REPORTER OMAR JIMENEZSHOWS US, THE EMERGING SOCIALMEDIA TACTICS THE IMPERSONATORSARE USING, TO FOOL EVEN THE MOSTSAVVY, INTERNET USERS.REPORTER: AS THE CYBER WORLDEXPANDS SO DOES THE ENTERPRISEOF THOSE TRYING TO TAKEADVANTAGE.EVAN BLAIR IS THE CO-FOUNDER ATZEROFOX, A SOCIAL MEDIA SECURITYCOMPANY IN BALTIMORE.ITS' RECENT STUDY LOOKS AT THENEWEST EMERGING TACTICS THATIMPERSONATORS ARE USING TOTARGET EVERY DAY USERS ON SOCIALMEDIA.AMONG THEM FRAUDULENT CUSTOMERSUPPORT, IN THIS CASE WITHNATWEST BANK.>> THE INDIVIDUAL IS TALKING TOTHE LEGITIMATE NAT WEST HELPACCOUNT AND AN IMPERSONATORJUMPS IN MID-STREAM INTO THECONVERSATION AND AGAIN THIS ISON TWITTER SO IT'S IN A PUBLIC%FORUM.REPORTER: THE FAKE ACCOUNT STEPSIN AND DIRECTS THE USER TO AFRAUDULENT LINK, AFTER THE REALACCOUNT GAINED THEIR TRUST. >> THE USER WAS SENT THERE BYWHO THEY THOUGHT WAS THELEGITIMATE SUPPORT ACCOUNTBECAUSE THEY DID THEIR DUEDILIGENCE.THEY FOUND THE VERIFIED ACCOUNTFOR NAT WEST SUPPORT, THEYENGAGED WITH THEM DIRECTLY.REPORTER: ANOTHER MAJOR TACTIC,MALICIOUS PAID ADVERTISING.LIKE THESE RAYBANS, MARKED DOWNFROM $347 TO $25, A SPONSORED ADON INSTAGRAM.>> I GET THE IMPLICITENDORSEMENT THAT THIS IS A SHOP,THIS IS LEGITIMATE.INSTAGRAM HAS VERIFIED IT.CLICK HERE TO SHOP NOW.REPORTER: AND BLAIR SAYS IT'SPREVALENT ACROSS ALL PLATFORMS,MALICIOUS USERS PAYING THERESPECTIVE SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANYTO PROMOTE THEIR PLOT.>> IT SHOWS YOU THAT THESOPHISTICATION OF THE SCAMMERSCAN EVADE INCREASED SCRUTINYWHEN THAT POST IS GOING THROUGHTHE SOCIAL MEDIA FILTERS BEFOREIT BECOMES A PAID ADVERTISEMENT.REPORTER: AS AN EXAMPLE OF THETACTIC, ZEROFOX POINTS TO THISTWEET INCLUDED IN THE STUDY.IMPERSONATING TWITTER ITSELF,WHILE BEING PROMOTED BY TWITTER,TO GET VERIFIED ON TWITTER.TO SEE THE LIST OF EMERGINGTACTICS INCLUDING HOW THOSELOOKING FOR JOBS COULD BETARGETED, THE REPORT IS ON OURWBAL-TV MOBILE APP.FROM FEDERAL HILL OMAR JIMENEZ

As cyberspace expands, so does the enterprise of those trying to take advantage.

Evan Blair, the co-founder of ZeroFOX, a social media security company in Baltimore, said the study looks at the newest emerging tactics that impersonators are using to target everyday users on social media.

Among the tactics being used is fraudulent customer support, including one with NatWest Bank.

"The individual is talking to the legitimate NatWest help account and an impersonator jumps in midstream into the conversation and again this is on Twitter so it's in a public forum,” Blair said.

The impersonator steps in and directs the user to a fraudulent link after the real account customer support representatives gains the customer's trust.

“The user was sent there by who they thought was the legitimate support account because they did their due diligence,” Blair said. “They found the verified account for NatWest support, (and) they engaged with them directly.”

Another major tactic impersonators use is malicious paid advertising. One example Blair cites is a deal on Ray-Ban sunglasses marked down from $347 to $25, found on a sponsored ad on Instagram.

“I get the implicit endorsement that this is a shop, this is legitimate,” Blair said. “Instagram has verified it. Click here to shop now.”

Blair said it is prevalent across all platforms, with malicious users paying the social media company to promote their plot.

“It shows you that the sophistication of the scammers can evade increased scrutiny when that post is going through the social media filters before it becomes a paid advertisement,” Blair said.

As an example of the tactic, ZeroFox points to a tweet included in the study that impersonates Twitter, while being promoted by Twitter to get verified on Twitter.